By: Jessica Ivaska | June 28 2011
Posted in Seattle - Cook It - Seattle

Rich, chocolate, coffee-infused bliss! Photo by: Jessica  Ivaska

Who doesn’t love a thick, delicious, chocolate brownie? Oh, and what’s that? The rich, bold flavor of espresso finding it’s way through chucks of chocolate and crunchy walnuts with each and every bite?  Pure heaven.

The coffee bean and the cacao bean are the essence of pure, delicious flavor, so it was only a matter of time before a perfect marriage was made between them. With Seattle’s abundance of exceptionally roasted coffee and Theo Chocolate, the only all organic, fair trade bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the United States, it only makes sense that the ceremony would take place here in the great Pacific Northwest.

And what a marriage it is! The fruit of their union: Espresso Brownies. We know—your mouth is already watering. Add in other local ingredients such as Golden Glen Farmstead Butter and Silverbow honey and you have a decadent dessert perfect for topping off summer barbeques, picnics and potlucks.

Espresso Brownies

Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

Butter-flavored cooking spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
14 ounces of Theo’s Dark Chocolate Coffee Bars, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Golden Glen Farmstead Butter
1/4 cup Silverbow honey
1/4 cup brewed Café Appassionato espresso, cooled
3 large local eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
6 ounces Theo’s Milk Chocolate Bar, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°

Grease a 13" x 9" baking pan.  TIP: For easy removal of the brownies, line the pan with foil or parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small mixing bowl. Place chopped Theo’s Dark Chocolate Coffee Bars in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine sugar, butter, honey and espresso in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar and butter melt and come to a boil.
Remove from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate bars. Allow to stand for 2 minutes without stirring. After two minutes, blend chocolate mixture using an electric mixer until ingredients are fully melted and smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Add dry ingredients and stir until well blended. With a wooden spoon, stir in vanilla, walnuts and additional chopped chocolate. Pour evenly into prepared pan.

Bake at 325° for 45 to 48 minutes, or until done. TIP: here’s how to tell when brownies are cooked perfectly. Place pan on wire rack and cool completely.

Cut into squares and enjoy a mouthful of pure choco-heaven.

Get cooking with more coffee-based recipes from Jessica Ivaska:

Cooking with Coffee: Making the Most of Seattle Beans

Cooking with Coffee: Layers of Heaven

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